


Down to the Roots

by Felicity_The_Cat



Category: Sly Cooper (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Magic AU, Sly is a warlock, Wizard AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-09
Updated: 2019-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-13 20:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20180551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felicity_The_Cat/pseuds/Felicity_The_Cat
Summary: In an Alternate Universe where Sly and the gang practice and are involved in magic, the trio struggles to avoid the threat of death that's creeping closer as each day passes.Not only do they have to hide from the ever-growing witch hunts, the threat of other magic-users who may do them harm also shows itself as a threat.Sly struggles to take care of Bentley after the poor turtle becomes crippled and due to the time period they were born in, magic seems to be the only solution to keeping the turtle from suffering.Collecting the ingredients to keep Bentley's pain at bay is becoming increasingly harder, though.With the appearance of a new witch hunter, the gang finds themself in deeper trouble than they realized.





	Down to the Roots

It was not often that he found himself here; gazing out across the landscape in the moonlight. 

Maybe it was today’s failed the spellcasting that had gotten him so frantic and uneasy. Even though Sly couldn’t pinpoint the cause of his anxiety he still felt restless, hopeless and weak.

The spell was a simple one; one that he had done many times since he was a child. It was straightforward, simple, and one of the easiest beginner spells a witch or warlock could possibly learn. That was why when it backfired he couldn’t figure out what had happened- what had gone wrong. It was a simple good luck spell and he had done it many times over the past couple months before he went out on runs outside of the hideout. Witch hunts had been on the rise lately and he didn’t want to risk being caught. The simple spell usually made him feel a bit better when he was out risking his neck to collect supplies for him and his brothers.

Sly was a gifted young man- a raccoon of great wisdom and stealth. Of course his magic came into the mix as well, making him a force to be reckoned with. Even as a young warlock he still outranked many older, more experienced wizards. He came from a long line of master thieves- and witches. 

A little magic always helped when times got tough and it was a perfect addition to his skillset.  Sly was nimble and handsome- something that he could thank his deceased father for.  The young raccoon looked almost identical to his father. Even though he had lost his father at a young age, the man’s face was still burnt into Sly’s mind.

Sly hadn’t had to cast luck spells for quite some time but lately he didn’t want to risk anything to chance. He wanted to make sure that he got what his brothers needed and be able to make it back to the hideout- alive and well. There were many reasons as to why the spell could’ve went wrong. Being cursed was a possibility but Sly knew of no other witches or warlocks who would want to curse him or do him harm. It could have been a sign that his luck had run out and he needed to rest his magic for quite some time- staying hidden away in his den. Or- if he was really fortunate- he had simply botched the spell.

Sly silently wished that it was a simple mistake on his part. Getting captured almost certainly meant imminent death and there was no way in hell he was leaving Murray and Bentley to fend for themselves. He cared about them more than anything else in the world and leaving them behind wouldn’t serve them any favors. Sly was their eyes and ears- keeping watch over the woods nearby to make sure nothing harmful wandered too far into their territory. 

Sly was typically the one to go out and get them the ingredients that they needed for potions. 

He’d snag them new clothing and tools when needed as well, along with food- mainly for Murray. They grew their own food for the most part but some things had to be swiped out of nearby towns. Sly had no idea how to make many of the sweets Murray loved and he didn’t have enough interest or time to learn. It wasn’t a necessity. 

The raccoon found himself smiling sadly as his eyes drifted down to stare at the ground, watching as the dew on the grass at his feet sparkled in the moonlight. It was a beautiful night to say the least; one that he had been looking forward to for some time.  The full moon, while beautiful, made him easier to spot as he snuck along the tree tops and roofs of houses but he enjoyed it nonetheless. Sometimes it made him feel as if he was more powerful- as if the moonlight gave him newfound energy and strength. 

He wasn’t sure if it had anything to do with his magic or not but he found himself assuming that it did. The thoughtful silence was broken however when a twig snapped nearby.  Sly jumped, spinning around to attempt to spot the source of the sound.  His shoulders immediately slumped as he let his guard down, seeing that it was only Murray.  Sly gave the hippo a forced smile before returning his gaze to the moon.

“Bentley send you up here?” The raccoon questioned.  Murray nodded as he made his way closer to Sly, rather uncharacteristically quiet. 

“What’s wrong, big guy?”  It took a moment for Murray to speak up but when he did Sly realized that the hippo was beyond worried- it was eminent in his voice.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go out tonight, Sly. Bentley says that this whole thing screams bad news.”  Sly scoffed quietly and shook his head. As if this was anything he didn’t already know.  He put a hand to his own face, sighing heavily. 

“It’s not like I can sit around here any longer, Murray. You know Bentley needs those roots for his pain.” If it was at all possible - the mood became darker and both men found themselves uncomfortable with the conversation at hand. Bentley was unfortunate enough to have fallen victim to an injury, one that had permanently impacted their lives. Sly sometimes wished that it was him who had fallen victim to the weight of his family’s burdens- _literally _\- but the past couldn’t be altered and they all knew that. Murray didn’t seem to have anything left to say. He was well aware that there was no talking Sly out of his run tonight and neither of them were going to standby as Bentley suffered. It was something both of them felt guilt over, though Murray was more vocal about his shame. 

Spending all day imagining ‘what ifs’ wouldn’t uncripple the turtle- there was no point in it.

“I’ll be back by dawn… Promise.” Sly said softly, looking back at Murray to give him a gentle look of reassurance. It seemed to help somewhat and Murray’s shoulders dropped slightly as he relaxed- he hadn’t even realized he was that tense.

“Keep an eye on him.” Sly added as he slipped his red bag onto his leg, making sure it was secure and tight.

“Okay…” Murray muttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Sly gave the hippo a small nod as he began to head down the hill and away from their little hideaway, heading toward civilization. As he left his friends behind once again he felt an ache in his chest, though he wasn’t sure if it was guilt or anxiety this time around.


End file.
